*Note: Please join us in the Cottage for ritual and initiatory preparations, after which we will journey together to the Sanctuary in silent procession.

$10-$20 donation requestedCakes & Ale immediately following

As with last year's Festival of Death & Wisdom, our main altar will be focused around a large black mirror that is being charged as a portal for the Ancestors in a 24-hour continuous chanting working leading up to the main ceremony. All are invited to bring an Ancestral photo or item to add to the altar (please remember to take it home with you as well).

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As a capstone for this year's theme of “Embrace the Mystery”, this Festival of Death and Wisdom will be a re-visioning of The Eleusinian Mysteries, the most famous of the secret religious rites in Ancient Greece, celebrating the “Myth of Demeter and Persephone”, and held yearly for the Cult of Demeter. Although paintings, pieces of pottery, and "second hand accounts" depict various aspects of the Mysteries, they are forever shrouded in secrecy. We have no exact record of these rites and rituals, as the initiated were subject to pain of death if they revealed any of the details. Furthermore, as the myths of Ancient Greece have been transcribed, filtered and passed down to us through the distorted lens of the patriarchy, we also have no exact record of the "true" details of these stories. The one thing that we know for certain from historical records and testimonials-- those who participated in these mysteries were forever changed...and no longer feared death.

In CAYA, we believe that, at least to some degree, we construct the world through our fictions and the stories that we choose to tell ourselves...both consciously and unconsciously. Therefore, in alignment with CAYA's matriarchal and consent-culture values and goals, we choose to tell “The Myth of Demeter and Persephone” as both the way we envision it was originally intended to be told and the way that reflects the world we wish to inhabit---A beautiful story of love, family and relationships, following our paths with courage and conviction (even in times of fear), and the choices we make (and risks that we take) as we travel the sacred journey of life, death, and rebirth.

We look forward to standing at the edge of the world with you as we “Embrace the Mystery” together.